Collapsible tube



. 5, 1939. s. M. BAKER COLLAPSIBLE TUBE Filed Aug. 2'7, 1958 INVENTQR @Mfizleer BY Q I g Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates in general to a dispenser, and in particular is directed to an improved collapsible tube of the type commonly used to contain and dispense material such as tooth paste, shaving cream and the like. The collapsible tubes now in use are subject to certain objections; namely, the screw tops when detached are often dropped and lost, and secondly when the contents of the tube have been substantially used, it is practically impossible to extrude that portion of the contents which remains inside the tube.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible tube wherein there is included a non-detachable closure member for the discharge opening, and wherein the tube includes means arranged to permit substantially all of the contents to be discharged with facility.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible tube including means to prevent accidental withdrawal of the closure slide from the discharge opening as when handling prior to sale and before use by the customer.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of'parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device and with the closure slide'in open position.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device.

Figure 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the numeral l indicates a collapsible tube of substantially circular cross section; the lower end of the tube being flattened and sealed, as at 2, after the product is introduced into said tube. The construction of the main body of the tube and the sealing of the lower end are common practice.

My invention relates to the head of the tube and to particular features thereof as will now be described.

The upper end of the tube is formed with a head 3 of substantially conical configuration except that one side 4 of the head is disposed parallel to the side of tube l. The head 3 is made of the same material as tube 1 and the side I of the head is relatively thin so as to be easily deformable inwardly, while the opposite and sloping side 5 of said head is of substantially greate! thickness and not readily deformable; a central longitudinal portion of the side 5 on its outer face being flat as shown at 6.

At the top or apex of the head, there is an elongated discharge opening or slot 1 which is normally closed by means of a slide 8 carried in opposed, longitudinal channels 9 formed integral on the head along the exterior of the flattened portion 6. A finger piece I0, having a serrated upper edge, is formed on the slide between channels 9 and extends thereabove for manipulation whereby to move the slide. The ends of channels 9 are suitably arranged as by deflecting the same at their ends as at D to prevent escape of the slide therefrom. A removable stop element H is initially inserted and sealed between channels 9 and adjacent the backend of slide 8 so as to prevent accidental opening of the slide before the tube contents are to be used.

' In use, the stop I l is removed and the slide may then be moved to open discharge slot I; the contents of the tube being extruded in the desired quantity by rolling or folding the tube I from its closed lower end 2 as is usual. By reason of the described closure slide arrangement, there is no closure element which can he accidentally dropped from the tube and possibly lost. and which would cause inconvenience to the user. The tube may be held in one hand and the closure slide effectively operated with one finger of such hand.

When the tube I has been rolled or folded up to the head as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, a substantial amount of the contents remain within the head. With present collapsible tubes this remaining portion of the contents cannot be discharged with ease. However, with my improved device, it is only necessary to deform side 4 inward against the flat portion 6 and adjacent exterior area of the head as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. In this way, a'person can squeeze the remaining contents toward and out of discharge slot 1.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from. the spirit of the invention, as defined byv the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a collapsible tube, a head having a discharge opening therein, a closure slide for said mounting the slide on the head for movement to and from a closed position, and a removable stop element associated with the head and cooperating with the slide to prevent accidental opening of said slide before use of the tube.

3. In a collapsible tube, a tube body formed with a head substantially circular in cross-section and tapering to a relatively sharp point at its outer end, one side of said head being deformable and disposed in substantially the same plane and parallel to the corresponding side of I the tube body, the opposite side of the head being relatively non-deformable, the head having a discharge opening therein at said point, and a movable closure element for said opening mounted on said opposite side of the head.

GEORGE MYRON BAKER. 

